Dinosaur Adventure Land

Dinosaur Adventure Land entrance with Creation Museum (left) and Science Center, both closed since 2006.

Dinosaur Adventure Land (DAL) is a Young Earth Creationist theme park located at 5800 Old Palafox Road. It was created in 2001 by evangelist Kent Hovind, in whose back yard the park sits, as part of his Creation Science Evangelism ministry. Hailing itself as "the place where dinosaurs and the Bible meet," the park presents a number of science exhibits and activities that depict dinosaurs and men living together according to a literal interpretation of the Bible.

The park's legal troubles have been tied to those of Hovind himself, who failed to obtain proper permits during construction and was convicted of tax fraud for deliberately circumventing the law regarding the reporting of revenue and payment of employees. Dinosaur Adventure Land park has been closed since 2009. Creation Today has moved to 5800 North W Street, Suite 9, Pensacola, FL. We have a book store open M -F 10 to 4, and the museum room is available by appointment only. To schedule your special tour call 850-479-3466.

Contents

Creationism & beyond

	We believe and teach that the Bible is literally true and scientifically accurate. God made this world in six literal 24-hour days about 6,000 years ago. Dinosaurs were just big reptiles that lived with Adam and Eve. Noah took them on the ark. (Probably babies!) People killed most of them after the flood. (They called them dragons in those days.) There could still be a few small ones still alive today (like Loch Ness).
—Sign at entrance to Dinosaur Adventure Land

Hovind Theory

Dinosaur Adventure Land promotes a specific version of Young Earth Creationism (YEC) developed by Kent Hovind and known as "the Hovind Theory." The theory includes a literal reading of the Biblical account of Noah: Noah's family and two of every "kind" of animal (including dinosaurs) safely boarded the Ark before the planet was bombarded by icy meterorites. The resulting "super-cold snow" fell near the poles, burying the mammoths standing up. Ice on the North and South pole cracked the crust of the earth releasing the fountains of the deep, which in turn caused certain ice age effects, namely the glacier effects. Also this made "the earth wobble around" and collapsed the canopy that Hovind believes previously surrounded the earth, causing a hyperbaric chamber effect that enabled the long lifespans of men described in Genesis.

Cryptozoology

Exhibit in DAL's Creation Museum showing photographs and media reports of alleged "modern dinosaurs."

Dinosaur Adventure Land also extends into the realm of cryptozoology. As the name suggests, the park's main emphasis is on dinosaurs. Hovind believes that dinosaurs did not go extinct millions of years ago; that stories of "dragons" in mythology are actually references to dinosaurs; and that reported creatures like the Loch Ness Monster and Mokele-mbembe are in fact relic specimens.

Conspiracy theories

Controversial books line the shelves in Dinosaur Adventure Land's bookstore.

A wall display links Darwinian thought with eugenics and the murderous regimes of Hitler, Stalin and Mao.

Hovind and Dinosaur Adventure Land promote a number of other concepts and theories that extend beyond creationism.

Hovind has several conspiracy theories about the U.S. government. He believes that the Laetrile actually works as a "cancer cure" being suppressed by the U.S. government. On his radio program he has said that the U.S. government was behind the 9/11 attacks and that a "lot of folks were told not to come to work." He also believes the Oklahoma City bombing was carried out by the government. "Did you know the Federal Government blew up their own building to blame it on the militias and to get rid of some people that weren't cooperating with the system?" He also alleges that "UFOs are apparitions of Satan" and that the US government possesses UFOs. Additionally, Hovind believes that the Federal Reserve, the Council on Foreign Relations, the United Nations, and various other groups are actively planning to create a one world government and that the 1993 World Trade Center attack was staged by the US Government in order to pass "anti-terrorism" legislation that restricts civil liberties. He says, "I love my country, but fear my government. And you should too."

Facilities & attractions

A "Fossil Dig Pit" in the now-closed Science Center

A tyrannosaur sculpture seems to burst through the front of the Creation Museum.

Science Center

The largest structure on the Dinosaur Adventure Land property is the three-story Science Center.

One such exhibit is labeled "That River Didn't Make That Canyon!!!" It attempts to show how the Grand Canyon was not formed by the Colorado River over millions of years, but rather by the Biblical Deluge. Children are invited to fill a metal trough with water from a spigot and observe how, after enough water has built up behind a pile of sand, a rivulet will break through and form a miniature "canyon." Tour guides also note that the point where the Colorado River enters the canyon is higher than where it exits. They assert that "evolutionists" believe that the river must have "flowed uphill for millions of years" to create the canyon, though this is not the accepted scientific explanation of how the Grand Canyon was formed.

Creation Museum

Dinosaur Adventure Land's "Creation Museum" sits in a warehouse-like structure dominated by a fiberglass tyrannosaur that seems to be bursting through the wall.

Visitors to the museum were greeted by an ornate Bible opened to Genesis, followed by a larger room with rows of benches. Other rooms filled out the back, all lined with various exhibits explaining Young Earth Creationism or criticizing evolution.

Other attractions

• "Flingasaurus" - a four-seat swing that Park guides say links Newton's third law — every action has an equal but opposite reaction — with the Biblical teaching that "man reaps what he sows."
• A fenced-in playground for children under 5 featuring two cement parasaurolophi, a "Noah's Ark" ball pit, a tricycle race track and various swings and other playground equipment.
• Water balloon launcher where visitors are challenged to hit metal sculptures of a stegosaurus and tyrannosaurus to win "Dino Dollars."
• The "Raptor Range" of free-play activities.

Hours, tours & admission

Dinosaur Adventure Land has been closed since 2009. No tours are available at this location.

External links

• www.DinosaurAdventureLand.com - Official website
• www.DrDino.com - Creation Science Evangelism homepage